Multiple Issues In My Tank

I have a ten gallon planted cycled tank with a betta fish and nerite snails. I have two sponge filters and an adjustable water heater. 2 out of 3 snails were sick for a few weeks. One died yesterday (it was probably an old snail when I got him) the other looks like it’s about die—it’s been sick since I got it. The third snail is okay.

When I first set up tank a few weeks up, I left aquarium light on for at least 8 hours a day so that I have enough algae to feed the snails. Now the algae is out of control. I can barely see anything. I did a 25% change yesterday and today I can’t see anything. The tank is not near a window. It’s in a corner, right before the entrance to the kitchen. The kitchen doorway is the only source of light. I cut the light down to 5 hours a day.

Another issue is that betta fish is starting to get some fin rot. He have gotten stressed out from me moving my amazon sword plants around and adding 2.5 lb of gravel to the tank. I added some Seachem Stress guard today.


My water parameters are weird too:

ph 7

ammonia 0

nitrites 0 ppm

nitrates 0 ppm

pH is fine but I usually have about 5-10 ppm of nitrates. Now it looks like it’s uncycled. I’m guess since added prime when I changed the water yesterday and added stress coat today, it detoxified the nitrate?

How do I heal the fin rot and and get rid of the algae? My tank is at 82.6 degrees. There’s a heatwave today. Is it too hot for the betta and snails? Is the heat contributing to the algae?

 

Well, it sounds like when your nerite died it caused an ammonia spike. When you have an ammonia spike and adequate light, you get algae and bacterial blooms, the former of which is probably what you're experiencing.

I'd take a hands-on approach, and do a 75% WC. Follow that up with a 10% WC daily. Cut your lighting back to 4-5 hours a day, and the bloom should clear up within a week or so.

Fin rot is really best treated with clean water. No chemicals or medicine are needed.

Prime doesn't do anything to nitrate, just to ammonia. But, since you've had such an algae bloom, the algae have taken up all of your nitrates as nutrients. Nothing to worry about here either.

Simple answer is clean water. I'd lower the temp to about 80F, personally, although I doubt it's contributing to the algae. It's just a bit on the warm side.

 

Thanks.

I’m worried that my other snail is going to die soon. It isn’t moving much. I keep finding it on its side. I know it’s still alive because if I pick it up, it will cling to piece of gravel but it’s barely doing much.

 

Well, it sounds like when your nerite died it caused an ammonia spike. When you have an ammonia spike and adequate light, you get algae and bacterial blooms, the former of which is probably what you're experiencing.

I'd take a hands-on approach, and do a 75% WC. Follow that up with a 10% WC daily. Cut your lighting back to 4-5 hours a day, and the bloom should clear up within a week or so.

Fin rot is really best treated with clean water. No chemicals or medicine are needed.

Prime doesn't do anything to nitrate, just to ammonia. But, since you've had such an algae bloom, the algae have taken up all of your nitrates as nutrients. Nothing to worry about here either.

Simple answer is clean water. I'd lower the temp to about 80F, personally, although I doubt it's contributing to the algae. It's just a bit on the warm side.

On a side not prime does say it binds nitrates as well, but That would still show up on a water test.

 

I know literally nothing about snail diseases in freshwater, so I can't comment. But, if it does die, or seem to be dead, don't hesitate to remove it from your tank, and keep it in a bowl of water till you're sure it's dead or it begins to move again.

On a side not prime does say it binds nitrates as well, but That would still show up on a water test.

I'm pretty sure there actually is evidence that Prime doesn't do anything for nitrite or nitrate. Someone on a reef forum did a test on it, and came away that there really isn't any evidence to support that there's any effect on nitrite or nitrate.

 

I know literally nothing about snail diseases in freshwater, so I can't comment. But, if it does die, or seem to be dead, don't hesitate to remove it from your tank, and keep it in a bowl of water till you're sure it's dead or it begins to move again.


I'm pretty sure there actually is evidence that Prime doesn't do anything for nitrite or nitrate. Someone on a reef forum did a test on it, and came away that there really isn't any evidence to support that there's any effect on nitrite or nitrate.

Oh that’s interesting! I’ll keep that in mind. They claim it does, but we know that only means so much...
A test would still show both present as it doesn’t remove it just detoxifies but maybe they had another way to check.

 

Yeah, tests are still accurate! Definitely not arguing against that for ya. Sorry OP, didn't mean to jack your thread.

 

I know literally nothing about snail diseases in freshwater, so I can't comment. But, if it does die, or seem to be dead, don't hesitate to remove it from your tank, and keep it in a bowl of water till you're sure it's dead or it begins to move again.


I'm pretty sure there actually is evidence that Prime doesn't do anything for nitrite or nitrate. Someone on a reef forum did a test on it, and came away that there really isn't any evidence to support that there's any effect on nitrite or nitrate.

I’m going to remove the sick snail and see if it’s able to move around in a small container because I’m really not sure if it’s still alive.





It’s still alive.

 

I'd place it down onto the gravel then.